5 Tips to Find Work as a Nicheless Writer
Worried you won’t find work as a nicheless writer? You’re actually set up for success!
If you notice that you’re spending too much time fretting over your niche, it’s time to put off picking a niche, and get to work!
Despite what many people say, a writing niche can be very limiting for new writers. Plus, it’s a big commitment. How do you know what kind of industries you’ll love (or hate)?
You absolutely can start landing work as a nicheless writer. And in this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to do just that.
How No Writing Niche Can Be a Good Thing
With no established writing niche, you can actually look for work in all industries. You’re not limited to certain companies or certain types of projects.
Now, that’s not to say that you’re completely qualified to work on every project for every client.
Nicheless writers will want to become experts in their writing specialty. And luckily, most writing skills can translate to all different industries. For example: I use the same batch of email copywriting tactics whether I’m writing for a B2B dental company or a B2C haircare company. I’m an expert in the writing skills. I’m not an expert in dental or haircare. But, I can use my writing skills to be effective in both industries.
If you are continuously upgrading your writing capabilities, your training can benefit nearly any client in nearly any niche.
Now, of course, there are certain projects and niches that should be written by experienced writers who have a lot of background knowledge in the topic. This is most important for expert long-form content and authority writing. However, in many cases, even nicheless writers can still find work.
Read this! 27 Ways to Find Work as a Freelance Writer
5 Tips to Find Work as a Nicheless Writer
Without further ado, let’s get into exploring how a nicheless writer can successfully find work. If you’ve been putting off pitching or finding work because you haven’t established a niche, there may be some resistance to getting started here.
#1 Narrow Down Your Search
One of the hardest things about being a nicheless writer is not the fact that niched writers are taking all the jobs - it’s the fact that nicheless writers may simply not know where to look. The plethora of possibilities is simply too broad.
During your client search, put some parameters around what types of companies to look for. For example: Look at “ice cream shops in Orlando” or “medical tech startups.” By putting a few parameters around your search, you can make some real progress.
Even just for a day, search for one type of company, write down the names and contact information and pitch them. The next day, you can research a whole different type of business.
Again, you’re not picking a niche, you’re just temporarily adding filters to move forward.
We actually have a whole post about where to find freelance writing clients. Check it out! It has nothing to do with niches, so it’s right up a nicheless writer’s alley.
#2 Go Where You Know
While you may have no established niche right now, have you written about certain things before? When you’re pulling samples for your portfolio, look at what topics you covered and what deliverables you’ve created.
If you have some samples, you may be able to share those previous samples when pitching to new clients. While your previous samples don’t have to dictate your future work, you may have more leverage if you pitch companies in a similar industry. Prospects may find comfort in the fact that you’ve worked on similar projects.
#3 Be Open-Minded
You may not know what niche to choose, but you may have strong feelings about which niches to avoid. As you’re going through the process of pitching clients and growing your business, try to stay open-minded.
I never wanted to get into law copywriting, but I’ve had a few different lawyer clients. And honestly, the projects weren’t that bad.
If you’re bummed to land a project in an underwhelming niche, use it as a learning opportunity (and income opportunity). Plus, you may find that you enjoyed the work more than you thought!
#4 Prepare for Questions
Whether they’re responding to a cold pitch or asking you questions in an interview, chances are that a nicheless writer will get asked why they never niched.
The prospect may also ask how this writer possesses the skills to write for their particular company.
Be prepared for this question to come up, and make sure you have a good response for it. As we mentioned earlier, many writing skills and tactics are transferable to all sorts of niches. Make sure you emphasize this fact when you speak to them.
You could also bring up your willingness to do research and/or lean on the expertise of this prospect (who is likely somewhat of an expert in their industry).
#5 Sharpen Your Skills
If you can stand out from a crowd of niched writers by outshining them in your actual writing skills, you have a much higher chance of getting hired. So, make sure to keep expanding your skills and knowledge.
After all, a novice niched copywriter may still not be as effective as a highly skilled nicheless writer. And if you have actual stats behind your work, even better!
The Bottom Line: Don’t Let No Niche Hold You Back
What you don’t want to do is use the fact that you don’t have a niche as an excuse not to cold pitch or find freelance writing work.
So, instead of picking a niche right now (or ever), start refining who and how you search for work. The world is full of amazing writing opportunities, you just have to find them!
Continuously expand your skills, keep up with consistent pitching and make sure you have great samples to share. That’s how you get a writing business going.
